Jan 15, 2015

Winners of Winter 2015 Eco-Choice Awards Announced

From 30 products, three have been selected via online balloting as winners of the 11th semi-annual Eco Choice Awards, co-sponsored by GREENRetailer (Gift Shop) magazine and NY NOW, the Market for Home + Lifestyle. Two fair trade companies importing from Mexico and India – Tilonia (for Xaquixe Glass Carboy and Glasses) and Sustainable Threads (for a cruelty-free, organic silk throw) – are winners of most sensitive use of materials and most sellable categories respectively, while Massachusetts-based Look At Me Designs (for recycled skirts) was named “most innovative.”  NY NOW will run Jan. 31-Feb. 4, at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

“Companies around the world continue to recognize the growing importance of eco-conscious materials and socially-responsible production practices and the Eco Choice Awards are a testament to their ingenuity,” said Scott Kramer, NY NOW show director and vice president. “NY NOW is proud to demonstrate our sustained commitment to sustainability and green design by co-sponsoring these awards.”

The winners and finalists of the winter 2015 Eco Choice Awards are:

WINNER: Most Innovative: Look At Me Designs (Plainville, Massachusetts) for its Recycled T-shirt Skirts made with minimal energy entirely from recycled t-shirts.

FINALIST: Katesplace, LLC (St. Helena, California) for its Kupp’ a special children’s cup.

FINALIST: Dunitz & Company Inc. (Hollywood, California) for its beaded bracelet featuring vintage buttons, retired coins and old watch faces.

WINNER: Most Sensitive Use of Materials: Tilonia for Studio Xaquixe (Oaxaca, Mexico) for its Xaquixe Glass Carboy and Glasses made with recycled glass and by incorporating biofuels in the production process.

FINALIST: Hand in Hand Soap (Philadelphia) for its hand soap.

FINALIST: Calyz Textiles (Pune, India) for its burlap netted cushion.

WINNER: Most Sellable: Sustainable Threads (Fair trade from India, based in North Brunswick, New Jersey) for its cruelty-free organic silk throw made with natural dyes and hand-woven by Indian artisans on manual bamboo-frame looms.

FINALIST: Rigel Stuhmiller (Berkeley, California) for its “Love” animals greeting cards.

FINALIST: Beach Frames LLC (Atlantic Beach, Florida) for its reclaimed wood wall art frame.

All winner and finalist products will be among more than 100 eco-“green” products, representing the full range of home and lifestyle categories, to be featured in NY NOW’s Sustainability: design for a better world display at the winter 2015 edition of NY NOW.  For a complete list of all Sustainability: design for a better world participants, visit www.nynow.com.